The present invention is directed to an apparatus that is useful for establishing pre-wire routing pathways in a building during its construction phase such that electrical wires may be installed after completion of construction of the building in an easy and convenient manner. This apparatus and method provides a means for placing electrical wiring in the wall portions of a building after it has been constructed without compromising the exterior surface finish of the wall portions. It should be understood that the present invention may be used also for pre-routing of non-electrical cables, such as fiber optics and the like.
During construction phase of a building, it is extremely easy to install electrical wiring between outlet boxes, junction boxes, switches and fixtures for various purposes, such as electrical power, telephone communications, computer networking, audio communications, and the like. This is understandable since, during construction, the various wall portions of the building are normally framed with internal structural elements and subsequently covered by exterior surface elements. Designated utility terminal locations can easily be mounted to these internal framing elements prior to the completion of the wall portion and suitable wiring interconnects may be installed by running cable through openings or bores formed in the internal framing elements. However, once the exterior surface covering portions have been placed over the internal framing elements, it is very difficult to run electrical interconnects to other locations. Whereas it is sometimes possible to drop a wire between vertically oriented internal framing elements, the installation of lateral interconnects are difficult since the wall surface must be removed so that bores can be drilled in adjacent framing elements. Naturally, this is quite destructive and results in substantial expense in refinishing the wall surface.
As a result of the difficulties and expense of placing electrical wiring in a wall after completion of that wall, there has been a modern tendency to design and install extra outlets and junction boxes for both residences and commercial buildings. While this leads to increased convenience to the occupant of such structure, there is a disadvantage in the increased costs in materials for such terminal locations, especially in the cost of electrical conduit which has experienced a rapid rise in costs over the last few years. Another drawback in this procedure is the requirement of cover plates for outlet boxes which can mar the aesthetic appearance of the exterior finish of a wall. Finally, even with the installation of numerous terminal locations throughout a structure, the need often arises for subsequent installation of an outlet or junction box at a location not previously anticipated in place. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus that allows greater flexibility in installation of electrical terminal locations after a building has been constructed and occupied.